Alex, Michael Day 2

Another shaky start to the day from Alex – but this time the side slip was managed unaided. The lack of confidence however was clear so we needed to get a proper breakthrough today.

Video

The video shows:

• Good use of dynamics – with control over body rotation
• Individual pivots
• Dynamics incorporating angulation – counter rotating the pelvis

Conscious Skiing

Skiing is really about connecting with your own body and through that then connecting with the environment – and it’s a pretty special environment in the snow and high mountains. The movements we have been working on all interconnect and become self-reinforcing and focussing internally – inside the body – literally centres the mind. Yes – this leads to overall control of the centre of mass – and great skiing. Unfortunately all of this quality quickly evaporates when skiing with friends and attention is drawn towards group dynamics and needs. Do everything possible to keep your focus targeted. Skiing is an individual experience – between you and the mountain and you within yourself.

Dynamics Revision

Today’s session began by looking to see where everyone was technically. Alex had slipped back a bit but Michael was more or less where he ended up the day before. My attention had to fall on Alex for the moment. After a bit of revision of the issues to focus on – mostly around committing-to/standing on the new outside leg Alex was back to where he had previously left off.

Dynamic Range

Both skiers had a glaring lack of dynamic range so I explained “The Magic Wall” and how you cannot fall with dynamics – the ski getting exponentially more powerful as you increase the dynamic range. Competent increase in dynamic range is proportionate to the increase in security and stability.

Both managed to increase dynamic range a little – but what appeared to be holding them back the most at this stage was that both were using whole body rotation (Alex the most) to force the body around into the turns and hence lose organisation of the foot and leg support and control of the outside ski.

Control of Rotation

Just clarification and awareness of the rotation issue was enough to bring Alex the breakthrough he really needed to free up his skiing. Swapping the forced rotation with a conscious use of the legs – foot/adductors/centre of mass – and realising that this absolutely had to happen BEFORE the body was turned by the skis (instead of by twisting the body ahead of the skis) – Alex was able to feel secure enough to increase his speed and get better feedback (stronger forces) and stability.

Michael was rotating with his right side at the start of his turns to the left – but he was not quite managing to correct this so I decided to introduce another aspect of dynamics.

End of Turn Dynamics (Dynamics Part 2)

Sometimes the emotionally driven “rotation” issue can be eliminated by learning to complete the turn using a “neutral” phase between turns. This is when the downhill ski is used to support the skier coming up out of the turn at the turn completion – all the way until the skis are flat on the snow – travelling across the slope – the skier perpendicular to the mountain. The skier feels like he is falling over the front of the downhill ski into the void! It’s scary – but fun – because it always works. The skier’s mass has crossed over the vertical into the perpendicular so there is an unstoppable flow into the next turn – hence no need for body rotation!

Pivot

We only had a couple of shots at pivoting today – but this was backed up with a fair few steep side slips earlier on. The definite improvement is visible in the video. Both skiers still do not have the reflex to do this when needed though – they revert to snowploughs! Work at it!

Hip Angulation (ChiSkiing)

The main reason for brining this subject in towards the end of the session was to warn against the health dangers of “facing downhill” without properly understanding what this means. In skiing terms this is really called “hip angulation” but it is more complex than it first appears. This property being completely absent in both skiers it was also obvious that if the teaching was successful then it could also dramatically improve the control of rotation.

Notes on “ChiSkiing” (Tab at top of blog page also)

Hip angulation can be seen here – the angle specifically at the hip joint.

First of all I asked Michael to “face downhill” while standing stationary across the slope. He turned his shoulders. Asking him to put out his hands in front I placed a ski pole for him to hold across his hands and then put some weight on this so he had to pull up. What this does is put pressure on the feet – through the body – and all he could feel was the lower back instantly hurting. We then repeated this but by only turning the pelvis to face downhill and when the pressure was applied there was no back pain – only a reflex contraction of the abdomen to protect the back. The point is that If the shoulders are turned – twisting the spine from the top down the downhill (weight bearing) hip ends up in front of the ribs and posture collapses – endangering the back when pressure builds up. When instead the pelvis is turned it pulls the hip backwards away from the front ribs and then pressure under the foot activates the contraction of the abdomen to protect the spine.

The pelvis is effectively “counter rotated” during the turn – which is a strong antidote to body rotation.

Simplifying this – it’s all one leg! Foot, adductors, hip(pull back),  centre of mass.

Both Alex and Michael looked stronger immediately when skiing with this addition so it was the right time to introduce it. The last part of the video today is with this included.

Skating Rhythm

Our very last pitch was an opportunity to demonstrate how the down/up timing of the “inverted pendulum” action of dynamics is complimented by the down/up skating action of the legs – making the legs more functional and the skiing stronger by adding muscular impulses.

We stood facing downhill – skating directly down the fall line – with a little speed you can then “fall inwards” by adding dynamics – then the skis arc and soon don’t need to be stepped – the skating morphs in skiing – but the legs keep on working and maintaining the skating action and rhythm. Michael found this effective and strong because he is a skater – but Alex successfully connected with it too.